Display stand



.1. A. BOGART, JR 2,896,793

DISPLAY STAND July 28, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1956 July 28; 1959 J. A. BOGART, JR

DISPLAY STAND 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12, 1956 6mm 6% 6mm Q QM Wm 0 Tm. m a mm a \9m ww QM July 28, '1959 J. A. BOGART, JR 2,896,793

DISPLAY STAND Filed Jan. 12, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 *"a. T-Wi m a a" I lawerzfor .n am 02.30 m, 6 'a 77%} a perspective effect.

DISPLAY STAND John A. Bogart, Jr., Wakefield, Mass., assignor to Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts This invention relates to display stands and the object is to provide a knockdown structure which includes as a primary element thereof a collapsible, tray-like portion, for cooperation with auxiliary parts which may readily be assembled therewith in different ways, to provide varied forms of stands in which not only articles of merchandise are exposed for sale, but which provide for the mounting of attractive display material of various kinds.

Producers of merchandise, particularly of articles of food, customarily provide for retail dealers advertising material and in particular items of display advertising for positioning on the counter or in the windows. These characteristically are formed of heavy board printed in several colors in attractive designs. They may besimple placards, pictorial or no, or embody associated parts (sometimes relatively movable as in the case of a mobile) or have parts which in use are in different planes either to suggest three dimensional objects or to provide Frequently folding easels have been provided to support the displays in proper position on a horizontal surface. Herein all such articles will be referred to as displays or display matter. Such articles are not cheap. From the producers point of view he wishes to get a return from his expenditure and wishes the particular displays to have a prominent location in the dealers premises where they will be noted by the public. It would be desirable if they were adjacent the particular merchandise which they advertise, certain kinds of which may have better sale in one season of the year or another. If displays become damaged nited States P t t I I Patented July 28, 1959 down tray, usable per se and a salient item in the various combinations elsewhere illustrated, showing how locking members are applied to secure it in erected position;

to the frame and to each other.

Fig. 2 is the front view in perspective showing the tray with an attached supporting frame arising at its back for mounting display matter;

, Fig. 3.is a fragmentary cross section of a portion of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the application of modified locking elements for holding the tray erected, which elements also serve as legs;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the tray with legs and with an upright for mounting display matter;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section of a portion of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows two trays mounted in spaced relation, one above the other, and supported by legs;

Fig. 8 shows the tray arranged in the manner of a console to be mounted against avertical wall, and with a frame at the back for mounting display matter; and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the tray in collapsed or spread out form. V v V Referring now to Fig. 1, I there show a primary element of the display stand which is in the form of a .tray Therein rectangular, with a bottom and a circuit of sides unnecessary to identify by separate reference numerals. Herein these parts are formed from rods or wire welded together and in one sense the tray might betermed a basket. The bottom comprises a rectangular frame-like member 20, and cross members 22 and 24 crossing the same in opposite directions and welded The sides comprise similar. rectangular frames 26 and suitable cross members, and these cross members in the present instance are two in number for each side and take the form of "tubular elements 28 adjacent the ends of the sides (the corners of the tray) and parallel thereto. The sides are, hinged to the bottom and herein these hinges are formed by sleeves30 embracing opposed elements of or otherwise unattractive, they should not remain in the bottom and side frames. In Fig. 9 the bottom and sides are shown spread out in a common plane for shipment or storage' 7 Obviously the sides may be folded upinto perpendicular position to form a tray, but it is then necessaryto secure them in this position. For this purpose I provide locking members, one of which is shown, at the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 1, separated from adjacent parts,

and in this form. it comprises a length of wire or rod having a central portion 32 adapted to span the angles with what is a usable article of store furniture, and

which may be used to contain the articles to be sold and which the dealer will therefore place in a prominent position, easily accessible to customers. This stand, however, will provide for the support of printed displays which the manufacturer may from time to time supply. It is anticipated that he would provide a new display every month or so and the material would be particularly adapted for mounting on the stand. To vary the presentation and allow a wide scope for the advertisers idea of appealing presentation, the stand is such that it may be changed over from one form to another by simplerhand manipulations by either the manufacturers representative or the dealer himself, to permit the character of the display to be changed.

The invention will be well understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated the equipment and parts and a few of the various forms in which they may be assembled and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible or knockof the bottom as seen at the upper right in Fig. 1 and parallel end portions 34- which may then be entered into the adjacent tubular portions as shown at the left, and will hold together the ends of the two sides involved. When four of these members are inserted the tray is completely erected and will remain in that position. I

have not shown any means for locking the rods in the tubular members .or for increasingv their frictional grip on the walls of the latter since if they are made with' a reasonably good yet loose fit, they can be readily inserted by movement of-approach in the manner indicated at the left of Fig. l; but will not become casually displaced. r

As. seen in Fig. 3 the end portions 34 are shorter than the length of the tubular members 28 for a reason which will appear. Fig. 3 shows a cross pin 36 traversing members 28 and the upper end of the arm 34 bearing against it, but this pin is not required as far as the locking members described are concerned, but it has a function in certain cases, as will later be described. The unoccupied upper portions of the bores of the tubular members 28 provide sockets by means of which additional upright members may be attached to the tray as mountat the rear corners.

. in Fig. 2. The construction shown in Fig. 2 can be placed on a counter or other horizontal surface and displays may be attached to the frame 38.

' The central portions 32 of the locking members described in effect formvery lowfeet for the tray. In

7 Fig. '4 I have shown an alternative form of locking memher which also functions as a leg and comprises a central portion 32a in the general form of an elongated U, the sides of which may be braced by rungs 40. The ends 34a of the arms of this U are parallel and adapted to enter the tubular members 28 in the same manner as the portions 34 in the case of the locking members shown in Fig. 1. If the arms of the U just inwardly of these parallel end portions incline toward each other the entry ofthe legs in the sockets is thus limited, whether or .no cross pins '36 or equivalent restrictive means for i the bores of the tubular members are provided.

In Fig. 5 the tray is shown mounted on four of these legs in the manner of a table. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 means for supporting advertising material might be carried by any of the sockets formed by the eight members 28, but in Fig.5 I have shown an arrangement whereby an upright 42 may be positioned directly above the center'portion of the basket. As best seen in Fig. 6 an angular member 44 is welded to certain of the cross rods 24 of the bottom of the basket and has a short projection 46 which provides an element of a plug and socket joint to receive a cooperating element in the form of a sleeve 48 in' which the upright 42 or other similar member may be mounted.

In Fig. 7 I have shown two trays T mounted one above the other in spaced relation. The bottom tray is herein shown as mounted on the tall legs 32a. A series .of straight 'rods 50 may be placed in the open upper ends of the sockets of the lower tray and be received in aligned sockets of the upper tray which then requires no locking members. While a tendency of the upper tray to settle down on the. eight rods 50 is not great, in this instance the presence of the cross pin 36 will prevent this action and plain straight rods may be used. Since they are held in fixed position at their lower ends they serve adequately to position the sides of the upper tray.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a stand in the form of a console formed by a tray T with two locking members in the form of tall legs 32a at the forward corner and two locking member 32 of the type used in Figs. land 2 The back of the tray may be suspendedjfrom the wall in any suitable manner, as by means of the hooks 52 and the other ends of the sockets receive any suitable kind of supports for display matter, such as the frame 38 illustrated, which is like that used in Fig. 2.

A few of the forms which the stand may take are illustrated. Obviously the possibilities are almost unlimited. It is clearthat with blanks (as in Fig. 9) for two trays, a set of each k nd of locking members and a few auxin different planes with thin from surfaces exposed stance in Fig. 7 panels could be mounted on the upper tray in the manner of a tester canopy or on the lower tray in the manner of a skirt. In Fig. 2 rods at the sides could mount or contribute to the mounting of wing panels cooperating with a center panel mounted on frame 38 to form a triptych.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clearin several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. A display stand which includes a tray having a polygonal bottom and a circuit of sides hinged thereto alternatively to lie flat substantially in the plane of the bottom or to be erected generally perpendicular thereto, the sides having tubular elements near and in spaced parallel relation to their ends and removable locking members having central portions spanning the angles of the bottom and parallel end portions entering tubular portions of the sides djacent to such angle for holding the sides erect.

2. A stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least certain of said locking members are of elongated U form with the arms of the U terminating in said parallel end portions, the locking members forming legs of substantial height for the tray.

3. A stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein said end portions are shorter than the tubular portions whereby unoccupied portions of the latter provide downwardly opening sockets for mounting auxiliary parts.

- .4. A display stand comprising a pair of trays each having a bottom and a circuit of sides hinged thereto alternatively to lie flat substantially in the plane of the bottom or to be erected generally perpendicular thereto, the sides having tubular elements near and in spaced parallel relation to their ends, one of the trays being above and in spaced relation to the other with the sides erected, and

spacing and supporting rods entering the aligned tubular members of the trays, means being present to limit v the penetration of the rods through the tubular members.

5. A display stand which includes a tray having a bottom and a plurality of side walls, at least an intermediate one of said walls being hingedto the bottom,

50 the said one wall and the adjacent walls on either side relation to their ends, and removable locking members thereof having tubular elements adjacent to and in spaced having central portions underlying the bottom where the said one wall and the adjacent walls meet and parallel end portions entering adjacent tubular portions for holding the thereby connected walls erect.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Falkenberg et al Oct. 10, 1950 489,711 Mandioni Jan. 10, 1893 523,366 Mulford July 24, 1894 1,568,941 Gibson Jan. 5, 1926 1,682,489 Dershimer Aug. 28, 192.8

1,809,523 McLean June 9, 1931 7 1,833,857 Reese Nov. 24, 1931 2,277,948 .Bales Mar. 31, 1942 2,575,919

Kautzmann et al Nov. 20, 1951 

